Cops and Robbers
by Shiho Hahnenfuss
Summary: *Chapter 1 is up!* A reincarnation fic, ignoring the OVA 3. Meet Ryuuen, police officer of the Quad, where crime and corruption run rampant... (NOT a copy of a fic with a similiar title)
1. Default Chapter

**Disclaimer:** Fish is good.

**A/N:** 'Tis a sad fact indeed, but I can feel myself slowly succumbing to the chronic disease of Fanfiction Sluttiness. *nod* I'm starting to jump from one fic to another, and well, this happened ^_^ This is a reincarnation fic. I know the idea's been done to death, but  I couldn't help it: Ryuen has one, Purple Mouse has one (and what a one ^^), Kaze-chan has one, why can't I?

Kagura: How about the fact that you're not as good as them?

--;; Shaddup. Go back to your own fic. Shoo. Anyway, I will NOT abandon my other fics, but they might go on a little sabbatical for a while…CYOA is comin' slow (I've rewritten it five bloody times and I still don't like it -_-) and TPATP… indefinitely on hold. I might take it off and restart it from scratch ^^

**Cops And Robbers**

**Prologue: Welcome to The Quad**

****

The night was cold. The wind blew unceasingly, signaling an incoming storm. Scraps of paper fluttered past, hovering a few inches above the pavement. A faint stench of trash wafted from an alley half a block down, and I snorted.

_This place could use some cleaning up. Too much garbage around here._

I tightened the scarf around my neck and walked on, somewhat warm in my trenchcoat. It had been a long day, and the sooner I returned to my apartment, the better. It'd been a very long day, and the boss hadn't exactly been jumping with joy when I'd refused the latest assignment. However, it seemed that a speedy return was not to be. And speaking of garbage… 

I raised an eyebrow, noting the street punks who'd silently surrounded me. A few of them pulled out knives, and the audible click of a gun caught my attention. I turned and focused on the ringleader.

"Hand over the cash, man, and no one gets hurt," he snarled, aiming the barrel at me. Judging by how he looked, I guessed that he was about sixteen or so. I lowered my head and smirked, pushing back my trenchcoat with my right hand and reaching for the back pocket of my pants. The leader grinned.

"Good. We don't usually get willing donors." 

_Who said anything about donating?_

~*~

I was watching the news on the police station's TV that morning and sipping a cup of coffee, like I always do. Coffee deprivation does not a happy me make. And no, I don't take donuts, thank you very much. They have a LOT of unhealthy stuff that turns a fit cop into the blubbering mass of stereotypical officer you see in the movies. And if there's one thing I am, it's not a stereotype.

Anyway. Back to the news. I was watching something about how the Mayor was suspected of bribery when someone tapped me on the shoulder.

Now, mind you, normally I'm, well…normal. But when someone sneaks up behind me while I'm having my Morning Coffee…

The next moment, I was blinking stupidly in my chair at Sergeant Ri. A very wet, brown-stained-uniform Sergeant Ri, who was currently giving me the Look. And I was holding a now-empty cup. I scrambled up and grinned sheepishly.

"Ah…oops?"

_This is NOT good, I repeat, NOT good. You have just watered the Sergeant with one of the most unremovable-from-clothing substances on the face of the Earth. And to top it off, you weren't supposed to be lounging around today. You're on patrol, REMEMBER??!!!_

_Good gravy. I am a dead man._

"Officer Chou Ryuuen." Every syllable was emphasized slowly through gritted teeth, and I winced. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

_Think fast. Say something, anything!_

"Um…I was…uh…checking crime reports on TV, sir!" I snapped a salute. "Was concentrating a bit too hard, sir…uh…you surprised me."

The Look intensified. "And I suppose, Officer Chou, that media gossip on a BBBN is considered an official crime report?"

I gulped. BBBN: Blah Blah Blah Network. It meant that that particular channel was blacklisted as 'unreliable' and 'complete shit'. Which meant that any officer caught watching was in serious trouble.

_So much for saying something. I'll never ever touch coffee again if someone'd just get me out of this mess…_

"Sergeant Ri!" A rookie ran through the open doorway, an urgent tone in his voice. "There's been a 10-0-7 in Harbor Road! Sergeant Hahm requesting assistance from Officer Chou, sir!!" He looked pointedly at me.

_Saved! _ I pasted a look of complete seriousness on my face and looked the Sergeant in the eye. "Requesting dismissal for duty, sir."

He glared, and for a moment I thought he was gonna stop me anyway and make me clean his uniform with a toothbrush or something. Thankfully, he turned away, barking out his dismissal. I dropped the salute I'd been holding for what seemed like a billion years and ran out the door, thanking my lucky stars that I'd evaded the Holy Wrath Of An Irate Sergeant ™. 

A few minutes later, I was speeding down the road on my squad bike, thinking about the situation. 10-0-7 meant a gun was involved, 7 casualties, but no fatalities.

_That's strange. In this city, anytime a gun's involved there's always a dead guy. That code hasn't been used for the past year that I've been here._

I shuddered. Quad City was a very dangerous place indeed, especially at night. No cop worth his salt would dare to patrol alone at that time.

There was one, about a month ago. A rookie by the name of Bu Shunkaku. He was like most of the fresh ones; tough guy, hot-headed and brash. He was nice enough to me, though.

_He refused a partner when he drew night duty. The next morning, he was found in a ditch with multiple lacerations, a broken arm and a concussion. His bike was missing. The official media reports said that he'd had an accident, but Lanva told me that the surgeons said that he'd been slashed by something jagged; probably hit with a club as well. But he'd live. He was lucky enough._

I gritted my teeth. The rookies weren't really that important to me, but anyone who'd be brave enough to mutilate a member of the force…And they still hadn't found the people responsible. 

_Then again, they hardly do in this city._

Quad City wasn't that well-known on the map, but it had a crime rate that could rival that of the Big Apple. I'd transferred here from Chicago about a year ago, for personal reasons. Partly because I couldn't stand the humiliation I'd received there…

_Stop it, Ryuuen. You've got a job to do._

~*~

"Let's see… we got about 24 shots fired. That's about 3 a victim," I noted casually, giving the crime scene another once-over. The cute officer next to me was doing so as well…and man, did she have a hot bod!

"All of the shots were aimed at the arms, sir, though one or two of them had bullets in their legs. We'd have to wait for the report from the hospital, but from what I saw, the shots hit the bones on target," Officer Haku reported, scribbling something on her notepad. Since she wasn't really paying attention to me, I took the chance to get a good look at her chest.

_Holy mama, she DOES have a hot bod. Almost as good as Dou-chan's—_

"Lanva? Quit ogling her already, will ya? You're MARRIED, for God's sake!"

Kaen snapped her head up and glared at me.

_Uh-oh._

SLAP!! "You pervert!" she screeched indignantly before storming off. A few of the others snickered behind my back, and I glowered at them.

"Get back to work, people! I mean it!" I yelled, folding my arms. The rookies immediately scrambled around frantically, doing nothing useful as they just ran around pointlessly wondering what to do. I grinned. 

_The next best thing to checking out babes is checking out newbies. Heh._

A familiar purple-headed figure stepped into my line of view, shaking his head. I glanced at him.

"What was that for, Ryu-chan? You could've just shut up and let me continue…" I complained. He merely sighed.

"Lanva, you are a married man. You have a wife…"

"…who hits me with a rolling pin…"

"…and look at you. You're fooling around with other women."

"Because I have a violent, unreasonable housemate—"

"Wife."

"—known as Doulin."

"Whom you love with all your heart. Now stop yammering already and tell me the situation."

I chuckled. Ryuuen was one of those guys whom I considered a good friend; he was a nice, friendly guy, and the only subordinate in the force who could insult me and not end up cleaning toilets. He knew about me and Dou-chan as well; we considered him a brother, sort of. I told him what'd happened, and then he got this look of total concentration on his face, which I recognized as the "Ryuuen Computer Mode". He was thinking of previous cases and checking to see whether any of them were similar to the current one.

_Perfect memory for cases, that Ryuuen. He could probably recite exactly how many bruises there were on an assault victim ten months ago, and tell you the estimated time, situation and the name of the victim as well. I'm surprised he's not a sergeant yet._

I folded my arms. "So what's the verdict?"

Ryuuen bit his lip. "Well, the type of injury—limb shots, shattered bones, but no deaths—resembles three cases in the course of the year. The casualties had assorted weapons with them, but it didn't look like they were able to use them. Most of them ranged from 16-24 years old…local street gangs."

"They had weapons. Judging by that fact, I'd say that they were involved in a gang fight or something, and lost bad," I commented thoughtfully. Ryuuen shook his head.

"Doesn't seem like it. A statement from one of the victims said that they were trying to rob someone…but then they were attacked instead."

"The guy didn't say anything more? A description?"

"Well…he said that the person was a single tall male wearing a trenchcoat, but he couldn't really see him very well."

I scowled. "So what we have here is some superhero wannabe who shoots people who try to rob him? No guy, no matter how much of a sharpshooter, could possibly hit half a dozen armed guys _in their arm and leg bones_ by himself. There's something wrong with that statement. Are you sure about it?"

"Absolutely." Ryuuen ruffled his hair. "I'll be damned if I can figure out how this can happen."

"I'm not gonna issue an order to detain every single trenchcoat-wearing guy in the city."

"Somehow, I don't think that'd work."

"Well, let's forget about it. Any case that doesn't involve murder has no point being investigated." I sighed. "There's over eighty cases to handle as it is, and I'm only talking about our department. Quad's a pain in the ass."

"I guess…" Ryuuen frowned and gave one more look at the scene before hopping on his bike and starting it up.

"I guess Kaen's the one writing the report? I'll be sure to proofread it for anything concerning white-haired perverts…"

Annoyed, I threw a stone at him, missing him by an inch. He laughed and rode off, back to the station. I rubbed my temples in exasperation.

_Sometimes I wonder why I put up with him in the first place. Ah well. I'll just leave the rookies to do their job and take leave for today. I promised Dou-chan I'd take her out to the movies…_

Grinning at the thought, I got in my car, shoved the keys into the slot and drove off. A thought nagged at the back of my head, however.

_The Sharpshooter…wonder who he is? Even if he seems to be targeting those who attack him, I gotta know who to watch out for…_

I shook my head. _There's no point worrying. You've got enough as it is on your plate, Lanva._

~TBC

****

**A/N:** Ahahahahaha!! ^_^ How'd you like it? Note that every break signifies a change of POV. It's up to you to figure out who they are, but I'll give hints…^^ Quad City exists in Myima Gination. I have no idea how the police system works, so I'm relying on my TV experience and fanfics to do a rough guideline…^_^ So if anything seems odd, just remember that this is a fic. So…yeah.

-Sano


	2. Chapter 1: The First Signs

Disclaimer: Fushigi Yuugi is mine in the same way that a rock is edible: it isn't.

A/N: Whoa. Ideas for this fic just keep coming to me. ^^ Unfortunately, I won't be able to work properly for a while due to the fact that I had a really bad neck and right shoulder injury in Ninjutsu class. *winces* You know how hard it is to type with just one hand?! --;;

And a story note: The POVs keep changing every page break. It's a bit of a challenge: try and guess who's talking ^^ but it's quite easy since most of the time the POVs are related to one another anyway.

To Kaze-chan: I've been pondering it for a while, but I still don't get it. What do you mean by 'ambitious'? ^_~

****

**Cops And Robbers**

**Chapter 1: The First Signs**

Tapping to the beat of the music on the radio, I hummed along as I cruised on the main road heading downtown, feeling a tad cheerful for once. The convertible was my pride and joy…well, in terms of stuff I owned, that is. The feel of the wind rushing through my hair, the exhilaration of speed…

_Things just don't get any better than this._

Well, maybe it could. The smell of trash carelessly dumped on the sidewalk wasn't too pleasing to my nose, which wrinkled somewhat. Well, it was a small price to pay; after all, a girl couldn't have too much of a good thing, could she?

Smiling to myself, I drove on towards the Conen Hospital. Shun was waiting for me to pick him up, and I knew he wasn't the most patient of guys. 

~*~

_One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine…nine tiles going sideways. So the total surface area of the cheap flooring would be nine multiplied by sixteen, and that's a hundred and forty-four tiles. But I could've sworn that the roof had a hundred thirty-five… Hmm. Either I miscalculated, or the hospital has a few one-eyed architects. Well, might as well check again. One, two, three…_

Needless to say, I was bored. B-O-R-E-D. I'm pretty sure that a few of the nurses who were watching me count tiles were wondering if I'd fried my brains during the concussion, or something. There weren't many people in the waiting room; just an old lady sitting a few chairs away and the aforementioned nurses. And oh, one or two rats I saw scuttling toward a hole in the wall. Not that I'm afraid of them, but for God's sake, why did they have to make so much freaking NOISE in there?! I had half a mind to pull out a gun and put some lead in their brains the next time they poked their furry and criminally cute heads out of the hole. Unfortunately, people aren't allowed to carry firearms in, so I was stuck with listening to the squeaks and scuttles in the wall.

_They have something against me…Why else would they be squeaking in the wall just behind my seat? Gaaaaaah._

Shoving my good hand into the pocket of my faded jeans, I tried again to ignore the rodents, leaning back on the hard plastic chair (sheesh, if the hospital made so much money, why couldn't they at least get some decent sofas or something?), balancing it on the back legs and recounting the tiles on the roof.

_Eighty one, eighty two, eighty three…_

"Bu Shunkaku, please head for the entrance immediately."

"Whoa!" Jerking at the super-amplified announcement on the speaker RIGHT ABOVE me, I was suddenly aware of the chair tilting just a little too far back for proper equilibrium. The result being a loud cracking sound as my head was abruptly introduced to Mr. Floor.

Sprawled in a very undignified position, I was vaguely aware of tittering coming from the bunch of nurses. Didn't they have anything else to do, like helping sick and dying patients or making coffee for the doctors?

_Damn. Lost count of the tiles._

"I repeat, Bu Shunkaku, please head for the entrance immediately."

Gingerly rubbing the new bruise on the back of my head, I grabbed my duffel bag, muttered a curse which scandalized the old lady and strode off, absently kicking at the linoleum. My right arm, encased in bandages, was perfectly useless at the moment (much to my annoyance, because I felt like punching something).

_Have I really been stuck in here for over a month already? How I survived without cracking up, I'll never know._

The doc said that I wasn't supposed to do anything strenuous for a week, just in case my stitches opened up again. I had a few bandages around my thighs, chest and my other arms, not to mention my head. I made a note to wear long sleeves in future; else I'd become the butt of 'The Mummy' jokes in the station. Sighing, I nudged the entrance doors open with a shoulder, my hands being occupied.

She was waiting there for me, standing next to her car. I saw her catch sight of me and walk over, grabbing the bag and stuffing it into the boot. I blinked and frowned at the car. The offending vehicle, was, in fact, spray-painted a lurid pink color. And this wasn't your ordinary peach pink. No, it was PINK. Hot pink, neon pink, so pink it should've been outlawed on the streets as a major cause of road accidents caused by momentary blinding. I shuddered.

"Of all the cars to bring…why did you have to drive THIS?"

"Quit whining, you baby," she replied, opening the passenger side door to the convertible and looking pointedly at me. I glared at her.

"Girlfriend or not, I am NOT getting into that… eyesore that you call a car." I said firmly. She raised an eyebrow.

"Get in the car, Shun. Your apartment's half an hour by car from here."

"Nuh-uh."

"Get in the car."

"No way. No one, and I mean no one, is ever gonna catch me in a freakin' pink car. Especially one with the top down where everyone can see me."

"_Get in the car._"

"Nope, no way, no how, no go. There is absolutely no way you're gonna get me in that car."

~*~

"I can't believe you made me do this. Are you sure you're my girlfriend? You're dooming me to a lifetime of humiliation, you know that?"

I swear, sometimes I wonder if Shun really is twenty years old. He acts like someone one-forth of that age sometimes. I sighed and glanced at the form sitting beside me, desperately trying to hide his brown-haired head under his jacket and failing miserably. He kept sneaking glances over the door, warily watching out for anyone he knew. Not that anyone could look at him long enough to actually recognize him at the speed we were going, as I'd pointed out earlier; but Shun being Shun, he was stubborn as ever.

"All right, all right, I'll put the top up, ok? Geez." I tapped a button on the dashboard, and soon the roof stretched over our heads and gave Shun all the privacy he needed. He sighed in relief and leaned back, and I could feel him looking at me.

"You're mean, you know that?" 

"Of course. That's why you love me, right Shun-chan?" I replied, smiling. He muttered something inaudible, but I could tell he was trying to keep himself from chuckling. He leaned over and gave me a peck on the cheek, which made me giggle. I hated it when that happened, but hey; a little silliness was fine when I was around Shun.

"You're right. That is one of the reasons, but I might reconsider if you ever decide to drive me anywhere in this car again," he said mock-seriously. "Having an outrageously colored car is a criminal offense, you know."

I snorted. "In this city? It isn't a criminal offense until someone dies." And it was true. A few years in the Quad had ensured that nothing much in the crime scene fazed me anymore. There was a murder or two a week, and at least four people got hurt in a day. Killing someone put you in jail; injuring someone got you a fine. No one liked the arrangement, but in this city, no one complained. If you wanted someplace with a low cost of living and didn't mind screams outside your house every so often, Quad City was the place for you.

A hand pressed a few buttons on the radio, and in a few minutes we found ourselves listening to the local news.

"This just in: A teen gang known as the Kaou Raiders was found in Harbor Road. The gang was apparently defeated in a fight that involved firearms. Police have advised civilians to be careful on the streets at night as the mysterious gang may be looking for targets…"

I smirked. " 'Mysterious gang'? Looks like a misinformation campaign going on…"

"Really?" Shun was surprised. "I've been missing a lot, haven't I, Kaen?"

"You sure have." My thoughts turned pensive. I was overjoyed when Shunkaku was transferred here six months ago; when I heard about the 'incident', I freaked.

Freaked, of course, being an underexaggerated term. How about 'exploded', 'berserk' or 'downright loony'?

I filled him in on the latest news about the guy Sergeant Hahm—Mr. Lech, whom Shun swore he would beat up after I'd told him about the ogling thing--- called the Sharpshooter, after his prowess at cleanly disabling his opponents. The forensics team hadn't been interested in the samples they'd found at the scene. After all, anything short of a fatality was not worth wasting time on. Not even if it concerned an attack on one of the members of the force.

"Uh…Kaen? Watch the road."

"Huh?" I snapped out of it and looked up just as a sixteen-wheeler came barreling towards us.__

_Piece of cake. _

A sharp swerve and a few stamped pedals did the trick, and we were cruising along again. Shun stared wide-eyed at the Mack truck now behind us before turning his attention back to me.

"Man, don't you ever keep your eyes on the road? The last thing I want is an extended stay in hell…Why can't you let me drive?" he muttered.

"Because, dear Shun, you have one arm. And I'm sure you wouldn't want to be at the wheel of such an 'eyesore', would you?" I said sweetly. He glowered and shut up; I had a point, after all. The radio continued to talk about the latest incidents downtown, blissfully unaware (as most machines are) of the close shave it just had. 

"Kaen?"

"Hmm?"

"…I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For making you worry…about the whole thing."

"It's all right. I knew what I was getting myself into by getting involved with you." I smiled.

"…Sometimes I wonder how you put up with me, you know? After all, I'm not exactly a nice guy, and there're lots of other people who'd be more than happy to be with you—"

I ruffled his hair. "My choices are for me to make, and I chose you… so stop being all introspective already. It's freaking me out." I grinned.

He swatted my hand away. "Don't do that. I'm not a kid, you know."

I chuckled, then set my eyes on the road as Shun stared out of the window, watching the buildings pass by.

~*~

I shifted the cool steel in my hands. 500m infra-red scope, 8.62 mm duplex rounds, capable of firing incendiaries besides your usual lead bullets. The weapons department had done a mighty fine job on this one. It could do a lot, from putting a hole in a pigeon's head in flight to turning a car into a blazing fireball.

The latter was my current intention.

Shifting my legs a bit, I contemplated the target from my sprawled position on the concrete roof. The building was 6 stories high, and it had an excellent view of the road that stretched about a mile. The target was coming; I had about two chances at it.

It wasn't too hard to spot. The car WAS an…outstanding color, after all. I absently wondered who in their right mind would deliberately color their car _pink_, of all things.

_Not my problem. Theirs._

Smirking, I took a look through the scope and focused on the target, zooming in until I could see the person in the car. A guy, about twenty or so. There was something familiar about him but I couldn't quite place it… something about… brothers?

_Focus, boy, or the boss'll have your head on a platter. Or worse._

There was a traffic light a little way down from the car's position. A good place as any for a sniper to do his job.

_Kou, there's no way that you can screw this up now._

~*~

_What the--? A red light?_

I jerked my head up and squinted at the building. It was a red beam of light, too fine to be a beacon… that meant only be one other thing.

"Kaen, MOVE!!"

~*~

_Say hello to my little friend._

I squeezed the trigger.

~*~

I didn't hesitate. I kicked the driver's side door open and threw myself out of the car, feeling my shoulder grind into asphalt. Shun followed immediately after.

All I saw and heard was a flash and a loud explosion before everything went black.

~*~

"We have an emergency downtown."

I frowned and stood up, facing the paramedic who had burst into the room a few seconds ago. "Again? That's the sixth time this week."

"Yeah, but that's our job. We have a car accident…something about an explosion. A number of casualties, likely first to second degree burns. Let's move, Myou."

Sighing, I picked up my kit and followed him. 

~*~

_So it begins…_

I sighed in resignation and impassively observed the chaos.

_The battle commences, and none can stop it. Only they, perhaps…but without their memories to bind them, or their powers to help them, they are useless. It seems that a little help is needed…_

A snap of the fingers was all I needed to leave the area for my first intended target…

_Chou Ryuuen._

-TBC…

A/N: Was it good? Was it bad? Was the cliffhanger eeevil? Tell me no da!!!!! ^^;; And I'll give Kit Kat to anyone who can guess where the quote 'Say hello to my little friend' came from. ^_~

-Sano


End file.
